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The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP, formerly AAHL) provides Australia's highest level of biocontainment within a purpose-built biosecurity infrastructure.

Through a combination of our world-leading infrastructure, research programs and scientific expertise, the research we enable helps protect Australia's valuable livestock and aquaculture industries, and the community, from exotic and emerging infectious diseases.

Working closely with our colleagues in CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Manufacturing, Data61 and Land & Water, we continue to equip Australia with the capacity to predict, prepare, prevent and respond to disease. We also work to translate the breakthroughs of Australia’s veterinary and medical research communities into real-world solutions to our greatest infectious disease challenges.

Our research and services

Our expert research and operational staff work together across multiple disciplines to:

  • Increase Australia's preparedness and capability to rapidly respond to biosecurity challenges, including human and animal health and biosecurity threats
  • Protect Australia and our region from emerging disease threats.

ACDP is a World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) designated Reference Centre for several diseases and areas of expertise, and has three Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Reference Centre designations. ACDP's research is focussed on these areas.

Our WOAH Reference Laboratory designations

  • Bluetongue
  • Hendra and Nipah virus disease
  • Highly pathogenic avian influenza and low pathogenic avian influenza (poultry)
  • African swine fever
  • Classical swine fever
  • Abalone herpesvirus
  • Ranavirus
  • Yellow head disease
  • Epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus

Our WOAH Collaborating Centre designations

  • Capacity building for veterinary laboratories
  • New and emerging diseases
  • Diagnostic test validation science in the Asia-Pacific region.

Our FAO Reference Centres

  • Animal Influenza and Newcastle Disease
  • Zoonotic coronaviruses
  • Laboratory Biological Risk Management

ACDP is Australia's National Reference Laboratory for all notifiable animal diseases, including those which may affect wildlife.

We provide a range of diagnostic and investigative services including testing for suspect notifiable disease outbreaks, as well as testing to facilitate animal movement, including import/export. We also provide services associated with demonstrating the safety of veterinary pharmaceuticals, and provide a proficiency testing service nationally and internationally along with the provision of reference reagents.

Meet the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness Leadership Team

  • Director - Debbie Eagles
  • Science Director - Dwane O'Brien

Interested in our research?

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